. >> reporter: john bain ircould change his mind, but unless he does and allows a vote, america goes off the fiscal cliff surrounding himself with middle-class americans, president obama had sounded optimistic this afternoon. it's not done. >> reporter: sources say taxes would rise on income over 4 to 500,000. a big win -- >> keep in mind just last month republicans in congress said they would never agree to raise rates. obviously the agreement is currently being discussed would raise those rates and raise them permanently. they made the president promising tax hikes above 250,000. not 450. >> well, i just think that's grossly unfair. >> a hangup -- democrats want a two-year postponement, covered by the new tax hikes. the president scoffed at republican demand for deeper spending cuts. >> shove only spending cuts down -- well -- shove -- shove spending cuts at us. >> reporter: so much for winning gop allies. >> laughs and jokes and ridicules republicans. why? >>> a bigger question is, will a deal get done? it's sure to kim s. >>> word that a deal was close on the fiscal cliff helped